Microsoft's Windows 10 rollout isn't quite hitting the mark

As Windows 10 approaches its first anniversary since going on general release, Microsoft has confirmed the platform will fall short of its target of being active on more than one billion devices by 2018.

According to figures given to the BBC, it is currently in use on around 350 million devices, leaving a rather large void to fill in just under a year and a half. Microsoft blamed ongoing sub-par performance in the smartphone market as the reason it expects to miss its 2018 goal.

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Microsoft's woes in mobile are well-documented, including its purchase of Nokia for $7.2 billion in 2013, which it failed to parlay into a successful smartphone business despite the Nokia brand still inspiring loyalty long after it could be considered reasonable. It later had to write off the entire purchase and lay off thousands of staff from the Finnish manufacturing units.

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On the desktop, Microsoft has come under fire several times for its aggressive tactics designed to get people to upgrade to Windows 10 from earlier versions of the OS, which included downloading and installing the update without permission over a satellite link internet connection.

Anyone who does want to update their software for free has until July 29, at which point the free upgrade offer will disappear and the Windows 10 upgrade will become chargeable.

Nokia, meanwhile, has licensed a new Finnish company called HMD to manufacture smartphones that will exclusively run Android.